International IDEA reports historic decline in U.S. democracy

A report by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) indicates that democracy in the United States is experiencing a historic decline. Based on 30 key indicators, the study found that the U.S. showed negative results in more than half of these metrics, marking the worst performance since monitoring began in 1975.

Key areas of decline include judicial independence, access to justice, parliamentary effectiveness, freedom of the press, and freedom of expression. The report notes that while some indicators began to drop during the Joe Biden administration, the second term of Donald Trump significantly accelerated the consolidation of presidential power, undermining the rule of law both domestically and internationally.

International IDEA Secretary General Kevin Casas-Zamora stated that the situation in the U.S. has global implications, potentially weakening international cooperation and increasing the risk of conflict. The decline is exacerbated by intense political polarization, where opposing factions view each other as threats and may tolerate undemocratic behavior to achieve political goals.